Passenger Trains > Amtrak California Comet Car in Oakland Today.....

Sent to me by a friend who works in the yard.....

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Cool! A full trainset of those with the Caltrain heritage units should be a pleasant change. Thanks for sharing.

Such an odd choice of rolling stock...would've expected the NJ Transit Comet III's to get a new lease on life before these things!

Did they have to put toilets into them? As delivered did they have toilets?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

webmaster Wrote:
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> Did they have to put toilets into them? As
> delivered did they have toilets?


Seriously?

Not sure if they had toilets before, but Amtrak completely gutted and rebuilt the cars inside out with Amtrak-standard equipment.

Not a big fan of the HEP cable location.

/but they have touch-free faucets.

Jaanfo Wrote:
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> Not sure if they had toilets before, but Amtrak
> completely gutted and rebuilt the cars inside out
> with Amtrak-standard equipment.
>
> Not a big fan of the HEP cable location.
>
> /but they have touch-free faucets.


Well, after the first few shopping cart strikes, they may relocate them...or at least try to...

hsr_fan Wrote:
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> Such an odd choice of rolling stock...would've
> expected the NJ Transit Comet III's to get a new
> lease on life before these things!


If you're buying a car to gut the interior and overhaul, I'll bet these were a whole lot cheaper.

The Comet 3's are stored on NJT..they are the oldest non-rebuilt non-MU cars on NJT in any qty right now.
The comet 2's are in service, having been rebuilt to be more compatible with the comet 4's.

One of thing I've heard is that NJT bought new equipment for the NYC 2nd tunnel service, and other
new services that have been on the drawing board for ever, but never started. The new equipment arrived,
but no new service inaugurated, so the ALP-44's and Comet 3's were put into storage, which is where they
are today. Also stories that they are not off lease yet, so bank or leasing co has a say as to future of this
equipment.

Touch free faucets? Oh boy here we go with complaints when the sensors don't want to work right!

I think we've gone backwards here. California and its citizens have been so supportive of rail service funding and expansion in this state, but we get these things?? They belong on some corridor back East, or in the midwest.

Honestly, we deserve better, given our funding support.

coach Wrote:
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> I think we've gone backwards here. California and
> its citizens have been so supportive of rail
> service funding and expansion in this state, but
> we get these things?? They belong on some
> corridor back East, or in the midwest.
>
> Honestly, we deserve better, given our funding
> support.

At 1st I thought this was an odd move and it still may be, but some googling and wiki searches will reveal that these Comet Cars are actually temporary until the State of California receives its 130 (actually its probably less-somebody please provide the specific numbers) of new Bi-Level Intercity passenger cars, which California & Illinois just contracted Nippon Sharyo for these past few months. Short term inconvenience for long-term investment? These will be interesting to railfan for the next few years!

You know what seems ridiculously stupid about this idea? Metrolink has dozens of surplus Bombardier coaches just sitting in storage. Some of them are less than fifteen years old. No, they wouldn't be compatible with Superliners or California Cars but they're decent cars.

Upgrading the seats and installing a food service area downstairs in one of the coaches would not be a big deal. The coaches are already ADA compatible with automatic doors and they hold more people.

Should this configuration fail, I'm sure Caltrans could sell the coaches to a commuter agency.

Amtrak562 Wrote:
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> At 1st I thought this was an odd move and it still
> may be, but some googling and wiki searches will
> reveal that these Comet Cars are actually
> temporary until the State of California receives
> its 130 (actually its probably less-somebody
> please provide the specific numbers) of new
> Bi-Level Intercity passenger cars, which
> California & Illinois just contracted Nippon
> Sharyo for these past few months. Short term
> inconvenience for long-term investment? These
> will be interesting to railfan for the next few
> years!

42 cars for California, 88 cars for the Midwest (Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri)

coach Wrote:
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> I think we've gone backwards here. California and
> its citizens have been so supportive of rail
> service funding and expansion in this state, but
> we get these things?? They belong on some
> corridor back East, or in the midwest.
> Honestly, we deserve better, given our funding
> support.

In many ways these cars should be just as, if not more, comfortable than the current bi-level fleet.
They are equipped with Amtrak's standard short-haul seats (which IMHO are much more comfortable than the current non-reclining seats), more luggage space and dedicated bike racks.
And as Amtrak562 said... it's only temporary until the new bi-level cars are delivered.
After that... the cars may be sent to one of those places you mention.

Oh and to answer an earlier question... each car will have an ADA compliant restroom (an off-the-shelf model from RailPlan designed for MBTA's cars.)

Ricky Courtney
Seattle, WA

rickycourtney Wrote:
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> They are equipped with Amtrak's standard
> short-haul seats (which IMHO are much more
> comfortable than the current non-reclining seats),
> more luggage space and dedicated bike racks.
> And as Amtrak562 said... it's only temporary until
> the new bi-level cars are delivered.
> After that... the cars may be sent to one of those
> places you mention.

Since California actually bought these cars, it will be upto California to decide what they do with them next.

Since, as single level cars, the Comets are not usable in consists with the California cars, I assume they will be used as solid San Joaquin consists. Will the food service be Horizon Cafe cars?

This raises the question what happens to the California cars now used in the San Joaquin's? Sent to So Cal to beef up the Surfliner service? I would endorse that concept. The few times that I have ridden the Surfliners they have been Sardines-in-a-can SRO. The Capitols seem to be OK for now.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

Winnemucca Wrote:
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> Since, as single level cars, the Comets are not usable in consists with the California cars, I
> assume they will be used as solid San Joaquin consists. Will the food service be Horizon Cafe
> cars?

YES, full low-level consists with Cafe cars.

> This raises the question what happens to the California cars now used in the San Joaquins?
> Sent to So Cal to beef up the Surfliner service? I would endorse that concept. The few times that I
> have ridden the Surfliners they have been Sardines-in-a-can SRO. The Capitols seem to be OK
> for now.

They ARE going to the Capitol Corridor, at least for now. The issue of equipment ownership
comes up here. The San Joaquins and Capitols are intended to use wholly State-owned or
State-leased equipment; all California Fleet equipment including the locomotives and the cars
that were built on the Surfliner order are wholly owned by the State, hence their CDTX reporting
marks (not AMTK). Surfliner equipment ownership, however, is 50/50, State/Amtrak. A financial
arrangement with the agency managing the Surfliners, soon to be under local control, would be
necessary to send the cars South. I'm not saying this can't or won't happen, but it's more than
just hooking them up and deadheading them south.

There is also the possibility, though at present unlikely, that after Amtrak ceases to provide
any financing for the San Joaquins and Capitols, they could be contracted out to other train
operators.

It's going to be an interesting next few years out here, as the shorthaul services transform from
the "Amtrak California Corridors" to three separate corridor operations, each under independent local
control.

These sets will be assigned and used almost exclusively on the 712/717 rotation to BFD. AS is my understanding after talking to the lady in charge of all of the rail with Caltrans, these cars are here to stay, even after the new stuff gets here. Get used to them, get comfortable....

Tube Diaphragms, classy...

Other than that (and the heady to hook HEP cables), I think they will suffice...

Small windows don't help make a ride pleasant.

ats90mph Wrote:
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> Tube Diaphragms, classy...

Hey ats, What's wrong with tube diaphragms?